The Salvation of San d'Oria
by Tokaki
Summary: This is a story I started for my Linkshell in FFXI, a tale of adventure starring my character, Tokaki. I decided I wanted to post it here and finish it. More chapters as I editwrite them.


Final Fantasy XI is owned by SquareEnix. 

Chapter 1 – The Battle of Ronfaure Outpost

"Look, Tokaki." Said Doladpaition, one of the Royal Knights of San d'Oria. "I don't mean to be rude, but I've got a ton of new recruits to start training."

"Oh." Said the dark knight, his face growing grimmer as he reached up to yank his horned helm off, running his gloved fingers through his sweaty hair. "Ordinarily, I'd not be bothering you." He reached into a pouch at his side, and pulled an object from it. "But I was just up in Ghelspa. Seemed some of the orcs had gotten a copy of the plans to the Chateau."

The Royal Knight's eyes widened beneath his helm. "Surely not! Tokaki, that's terrible! Why...they could find a way in, they could attack the ki-" he was cut off by a sharp raising of the dark knight's hand.

"Don't worry. The orc with the plans...no longer has a use for them, and they have been returned to Halver." The dark knight said. "But while I was up there, I found this." he handed the object over to Doladpaition.

The other elvaan paled even further with shock and fear. "This is-" He started, then shook himself and studied it more. "Tokaki...this is t-" He was interrupted again.

"A cryptex, I know. And it means there's an attack on this outpost imminent. I've called for some help, and many of my linkshell are already making their way here. I just pray to Altana that we have enough time."

"No, you don't understand. Those new recruits I was telling you about?" The knight asked, waiting until Tokaki nodded. "They're not just your usual garden variety recruits. They're the sons and daughters of some of the wealthiest and most powerful citizens of San d'Oria. And all of them will be here shortly. They've probably already left the city."

Tokaki spat on the ground. "Damn." He muttered after a moment, then looked up as a shadow fell across him. "Ah. You guys are here. Good."

Doladpaition turned and gasped as he looked around. A small army on chocobo-back had surrounded his outpost, and most were already dismounting. Most were lightly armed and armored, but all of them wore expressions of grim anticipation and excitement. There were Mithrans, Humes, even a couple of Galka and Tarutaru. "Wh-who are they?"

"They would be the help I called for." Tokaki said, grinning at the Royal Knight, who flushed slightly. "Fear not, my friend. We shall see that the sons and daughters of San d'Oria's elite live to see the sunset."

Tokaki's words could not have been better timed. For at that moment, around one of the ridges came a small regiment of young elvaan men and women, marching towards the outpost. Tokaki nodded once at the Royal Knight, then stepped away from Doladpaition as his new charges approached, letting him handle the preparations and warnings and introductions. He crossed the road, beckoning to the newly arrived adventurers. They followed, and gathered around him in a loose circle.

He paused then, before explaining their purpose, and took a brief look at each of them in turn. Some of them were only acquaintances, while others were old friends. Some were people he traveled with frequently, while others he could not keep at far enough away from, if he'd a choice.

Koriandr, Mithran Red Mage, smirking at him from under her red bangs. Amefuri, Hume thief, her expression cheerful as always. Ishianti, another red mage, and her husband Tannim, a Hume Paladin, both watching him intently, ready for whatever he had to tell them. Russibynebyne, the Elvaan white mage whose direction sense was nearly as infamous as Amefuri's, though she always seemed to show up on time whenever he called. Cirdan, Elvaan dragoon, and the wyvern, Hien, hovering next to him as always, watching something else, both pretending to ignore Tokaki. Chrystopher, the Hume paladin in gleaming white armor. Kaeli, Mithran samurai, her hair done up behind her in two short pigtails, one gloved hand resting easily on the hit of her great katana. Jezebel, another Mithran, grinning ferally at him, her hands firmly on the hilts of her twin ninja blades. Rathanel, a Tarutaru black mage stood next to her, the tip of his pointed hat barely grazing Jezebel's elbow. Uruki stood next to him on his other side, her Tartar sized harp strummed idly as she listened. Sagus, an Elvaan paladin and the leader of his linkshell stood off to the side, next to his usual companions, Calaeriel, the Tarutaru summoner, and Devinoch, the Galkan dragoon. Ainyan, the Mithran monk, Vynnagon, and Kitsu completed the group, the latter two Hume white mages.

Tokaki took a deep breath then, and began to explain. "I was up in Ghelspa, reducing the orcs' numbers." This was met by knowing smirks from the adventurers gathered. "...when I came across a peculiar item on the body of a dead orc fighter. A cryptex. Red, with the Ronfaure markings they use." His face grew grimmer then, and even the ever cheerful Amefuri sobered. "The orcs are planning to attack the outpost. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be much of a problem. The outpost could be abandoned to the orcs, or a force of Royal Knights could be dispatched from the city to deal with the problem. But there isn't time to get that force together. Especially with the arrival of those..." He hooked his thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the red-clad backs of the squadron of recruits that had just arrived. "They are the sons and daughters of some of San d'Oria's wealthiest and most powerful citizens. I don't think I have to tell you how it would go if they all died. So..." He sighed, grinning slightly. "Once again it falls upon us adventurers to save our nation."

He paused for a moment. "We don't have much time to get organized. We could have days, or hours...or even less time than that. I'm betting no more than an hour, myself. This is going to be dangerous and costly. I won't make any of you do this." He chuckled softly. "After all, we all have our own personal 'issues' with the current government of San d'Oria. I, for one, will stay. Who is with me?" He asked, drawing his scythe from its carrier on his back and holding it aloft.

The sound of steel sliding from sheaths and weapons being drawn greeted him, as all seventeen of the gathered adventurers greeted him with a resounding. "Hurrah!" The sound startled the recruits, and drew a frown from Doladpaition as he continued to address them, and explain their dire situation.

Tokaki nodded then, and returned his weapon to the holder on his back. "Alright, now, this is where it gets complicated. We'll divide into three groups of six, with a paladin and white mage in each." He pointed at Koriandr and Rathanel. "Alright, Rath, Kori, you guys will lead the other two groups. Russi, Chrystopher, you're with me. Vynnagon and Tannim with Koriandr, and Kitsu and Sagus with Rath." He looked around at the rest of the group for a moment as everyone shifted positions to separate the three groups. He frowned then. Hmm. Alright, here's what we'll do. Uruki, where do you think your skills will be best be employed?" He reached up to scratch his chin for a moment.

Uruki piped up in her light voice, stepping forward slightly. "I think this timey-wimey, I'll sing for the warriors." Her Windurstan speech patterns were barely noticeable.

"Ok, fair enough." replied Tokaki. "Uruki, Cirdan, Ainyan, you're with me too. That'll put most of our hardest hitters with the bard. Kaeli, Jezebel, and Amefuri, you're with Koriandr. Which means that Ishianti, Calaeriel, and Devinoch, you're with Rathanel. I figure this will give us the best setup when the orcs do arrive."

The parties quickly were organized, with light talking as the seasoned adventurers shared bits of news and information with their fellows, as Tokaki went up to address Doladpaition again. As he walked up the hill towards the outpost, he turned back to look at his fellow Ninjas of the Shirt. "Spread out a little bit, guys. You look like a bunch of green adventurers in Valkurm." He shook his head and turned to Doladpaition. "I think we're ready. You think they'll attack soon?"

Doladpaition swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, I think they'll likely be here anyti-" He was cut-off then by one of the patricians shouting from the tower.

"I see a dust cloud! Due east! It's rising up out of the trees!"

Doladpaition looked at Tokaki, as the latter's face grew grim. "Yes, that's probably our friends." He turned then, one hand reaching down to his back as he yanked the massive scythe free from the carrier. He pulled his helm from his belt and jammed it onto his head, fastening the strap as he started down the hill. "Look alive, people! They're coming! orcs to the east!"

Almost as one, the collected adventurers turned towards the east, the mages already beginning to cast the spells that would save their lives. "Altana! Protect us as we face your enemies in combat!" Cried a white mage as magical energy enveloped the groups as the protect spells took hold. "Give us a shield against their magic!" another said, as a shell formed around each of them, glimmered, then vanished, granting the spells upon each group. On the left flank, Calaeriel's avatarss appeared, shimmering brightly in he morning light, before casting their own spells, granting Rathanel's group their protections. Weapons were drawn, and the last of the preparations died away, finished just as the first orc emerged from the trees.

Tokaki spat on the ground, gripping his scythe more firmly as he looked at the oncoming horde. "Figures." He said as he identified their markings. These weren't the weaker denizens of the Ghelspa Outpost. The orcs coming toward him and his band of friends, and the charges they were protecting, were the tougher orcs...the ones who'd survived long enough to be promoted into the upper echelons of the orc society. The ones who were common sights in the Jugner Forest, raiding from the orcish base at Davoi. They were fighters, serjeants, cursemakers, and chaussers. He saw the rank markings. He knew what they meant. But that didn't stop what they had to do. "FOR SAN D'ORIA!" he cried, charging forward as the first orc came into range.

The first orc fighter he faced blocked his initial swing, sneering arrogantly at him as he batted the dark knight's scythe away. "DIE!" he grunted as he stepped in towards Tokaki, bringing his axe down hard on the Elvaan's shoulder and elicting a cry of pain from the dark knight. But that didn't mean that Tokaki was unable to strike back, and he did, wheeling away from the orc for a moment, bringing up his scythe to split the orc open from thigh to shoulder, the air around his weapon warping with the fury of his power and pain. The orc gargled in a strangled voice for a moment, and then the light faded from his black eyes, and he fell heavily to the ground.

But there was no time to rest and recuperate from his injuries. In fact, he was desperately needed, not a few feet away. One of the patricians who they'd come to save, a female white mage, was wilting under the onslaught of an orcish chausser. Tokaki wasn't sure how much time he had, so instead he raised his hands and pointed at the orc. "My injuries are your injuries. My pain is your pain. Your life...to save mine. Drain!" He intoned softly, his eyes half closing for a moment as the magic flowed through him. He felt the deep wound on his shoulder closing, even as he saw a wound just as ugly appear in the shoulder of the chausser, stunning it for a moment as it turned and sought the spell's caster. The patrician white mage took her cue and brought her mace down directly on the wound, deepening it enough that the orc's eyes rolled up in the back of its head and it lost consciousness, sliding to the ground with a thunk. Tokaki gave the girl the once over, nodded to himself when he saw that she had no serious wounds, and turned back to the fray.

An orcish serjeant charged him then, but didn't last long when Tokaki whipped his scythe around with blinding speed, his focus on the battle allowing him to cut across the front of the orc in an impossibly fast cross cut that left the orc bleeding heavily from a massive wound shaped like an 'X.' It staggered under the onslaught, then gripped its weapon and came on again, but before it could reach Tokaki, it fell over backwards, a feathered shaft sticking out of its skull. Tokaki turned and saw Ishianti with her bow drawn, already reaching back for another arrow. He grinned a thanks at her, then braced himself for another opponent, pausing as he felt a cool, comforting breeze flow through his body, spiraling outwards from his heart to his toes. He turned then, to see Russibynebyne smiling at him. He winked at her then turned back to the fray, looking for a new opponent.

Cirdan and Hien had paired up with Devinoch and his wyvern, the two of them forming a formidable pair of spears, orcs dying left and right. Rathanel had climbed up into the tower, and was raining down elemental death wherever he could. Uruki was standing nearby, her sword in one hand as she sang. Everyone seemed to be doing alright, and Tokaki took a deep breath as the flow of orcs seemed to stop completely.

"No more?" Asked Cirdan, looking around disappointedly. The rest of the adventurers there also started to relax. One or two even returned weapons to their sheaths. All of the patricians moved back to reform their ranks, looking for all the world like they'd just been spared a reprieve of divine proportions.

Tokaki did a swift head count. "Good...we haven't lost any of the recruits." He turned back to survey the field once more, counting in his head. "And we all still seem to be alive. Good job." But something didn't feel right. "Hey, Cirdan, do you hear that?" He asked, turning to the dragoon with a frown.

"No, I don't, Tok. I can't hear anything."

"That was my point in its entirety, actually. Even the animals are silent."

"Damn." the dragoon responded, frowning. "Look alive, people! There are more coming!" Cirdan shouted.

"They're coming in waves!" Tokaki added. "Brace yourselves!"

More orcs emerged from the trees ahead, their numbers slightly larger than the wave before. "ATTACK!" One of the foul beasts yelled as they ran forward, and the two lines clashed, the sound of steel on steel ringing through the still air. It seemed like the first wave was just a test, a group of sacrificial victims to spend themselves against the arms of San d'Oria like a wave against a cerment wall. This was part of the main attack force, and it showed. Tokaki found himself surrounded, and when he glanced briefly around him, he saw that his companions were in straights just as dire.

Everywhere, the beleaguered defenders of the outpost were being pressed back by the massed orcs. It was only through the grace of the goddess of the dawn that none of them had fallen yet. But it was now only a matter of time. Even the white mages were hard pressed to cast cure when it was needed. Orcs had even started scaling the tower where Rathanel had rained down elemental death on the first wave, trying to reach the black mage.

As he blocked the blows of the orcs surrounding him, Tokaki saw Cirdan's Hien take a terrible blow. And the loss of the wyvern, though temporary, would hit Cirdan hard. And that would be the least of their problems if something didn't happen soon. "I give my soul...to destroy you." He said softly, then closed his eyes as the power flowed through him, ignoring the blows of the orcs as they got past his defenses, wounding him badly. A dark wave of energy seemed to flow out through him, and when he opened his eyes again, they glowed with dark power. "For the pain you've caused others...for the lives you've ruined and the families you've destroyed. For the pain you bring others...I WILL DESTROY YOU!" He swung his scythe in a practiced arc, and as great wounds appeared on his body, seemingly inflicted by the air itself, Tokaki began to cut the orcs apart. First in a wild circular attack he destroyed the orcs around him, decapitating them all with one massive blow. "Kyaaargh!" he cried as he went berserk.

The dark knight leapt for Cirdan then, swinging his scythe wildly, felling orcs left and right as he ran. Cirdan saw him coming and leapt high into the air, coming down on the last orc with a loud crushing noise, just as that orc was about to put the finishing blow to Hien. Cirdan took one look at the enraged Tokaki, with the pain of Vana'diel literally eating at his soul, and grinned widely, saluting Tokaki with his lance and yelling out as a berserk rage similar to Tokaki's overtook him. Their weapons clanged together loudly, and they turned to face the rest of the orcs, moving as one.

From up on high, Rathanel looked down, and then pointed at the pair, calling to Kitsu and Vynnagon. "Hey! Cast Haste on those two!" The two white mages looked at the dark knight and dragoon, standing side by side, cutting through orcs like a hot knife through butter, but they were taking too long to finish their opponents off. They glanced back up at Rath and nodded, before raising their hands and beginning to chant the words of the spell.

Tokaki and Cirdan paused for a moment, as the world seemed to slow down in front of their very eyes. Despite the fact that they were carrying on through the battle without heed to their injuries, the influence of the magic broke through their anger for a moment. They turned and glanced at each other and grinned widely before turning back to the orcs and with another incoherent battle cry charged forward with blinding speed, their weapons becoming blurs in their hands. Before the pair, even the bravest orc fell back a little, if only because he had no idea what was coming at him. They moved with a unity of purpose, a carefully timed dance that few could match. They moved with each other perfectly, the thrust of Cirdan's lance timed well with the swing of Tokaki's scythe. They spun round and round, a storm of death and destruction.

Uruki charged forward then, singing a madrigal, the magic of the music inspiring Tokaki and Cirdan to hit more accurately. But then the wounds the two had suffered began to register with her, and she immediately changed her song to a paeon of healing. Rathanel continued to rain elemental storms down upon the orcs trying to scale his tower, casting water spells to wash them off, and stone to beat them off. Ishianti and Koriandr were combining spells with steel, hitting their opponents with Poison and Bio, before charging in with swords swinging. Ainyan, Kaeli, and Devinoch made an unusual trio, combining Mithran speed with Galkan power to take down any orc that got within their reach. Near the tower, Calaeriel was using her abilities as a summoner to summon great and shimmering avatars to help the beleagured Rathanel. Amefuri and Jezebel stalked the outside of the fray, leaping in wherever possible to bring orcs down, a dagger or katana buried in their backs.

It was then that the white mages realized that their plan had backfired somewhat. Tokaki and Cirdan, hastened into unbelievable speed and too enraged to feel the blows landing upon them, were in dire straights, blood flowing freely from their many wounds. More than one of those wounds were life threatening. The three white mages called down Altana's strongest blessings upon the two fighting so hard. As the healing power flowed from their fingertips, the remaining orcs looked up and saw them. And charged. Even the orcs on the tower abandoned their quest to get at Rathanel to attack those who would prevent them from being able to kill their enemies. And since the white mages were so lightly armored, they were easier prey than the rest.

As the first orc reached the mages, it dealt Vynnagon a nearly crippling blow. The other two didn't fair well either, staggering backwards under the orcish weapons. But all was not lost. Not yet, although Russi fell to her knees in pain as the blows came down on her staff. Three voices rang out above the shouts, the clangs, and the cries of pain.

"Your battle is with me, foul orc!"  
"It is me you should be attacking, vile fiend!"  
"Hey! Orc! Your mom!"

They had been fighting near each other when their opponents suddenly turned and ran, and at first, they looked at each other, thinking it was a retreat. But after a split second, they realized that what the orcs were doing was far, far worse than retreating. They were teaming up on the white mages. Not even stopping to sheath their swords, Chrystopher, Sagus, and Tannim charged into the fray, bashing orcs aside with shield and hit until they reached the trio of white mages, interposing themselves between the orcs and their friends, trying to provoke the orcs into attacking them and not the white mages. It worked. And as the three paladins protected the white mages, Ishianti and Koriandr ran over after felling the last orc on their side of the battle field, to heal the mages and get them back out of the way.

They never reached them. Both were brought up short as a pounding wall of water suddenly erupted in front of them, stunning them for a moment. "What in Altana's name?" Ishianti asked, and then looked up as Rathanel cried out.

"Cursemakers! To the northeast!" He cried, pointing in that direction. Kaeli, Devinoch, and Ainyan charged in that direction as the storm that was Cirdan and Tokaki blew itself out, leaving both Elvaan winded and wounded. They paused to catch their breath before heading over in that direction as well, Tokaki stopping for a moment to pull his crossbow and fire it, driving a bolt into one cursemaker's shoulder. Between the efforts of the five fighters, the two cursemakers fell quickly, unable to withstand the damage that the five were inflicting.

And then a silence crossed the battlefield, a single grunting sigh dying away as the last orc fighter fell to the Paladins near the outpost. Miraculously, all of them were still alive. Even the patricians that were barely capable of holding a sword, let alone the daunting task of defending the outpost against an attack such as the one they just survived. Many of them were struggling just to stay on their feet as they started to gather at the outpost again, weary and exhausted.

"Remind me again why I thought this was a good idea?" Tokaki asked tiredly, grinning as he and Cirdan stomped back up the hill.

"Because you're a dark knight, and you're crazy." Came the wry response.

"Right...we just won't talk about who saved who then." Tokaki shot back, eliciting rolled eyes from Cirdan. Then they both laughed.

"Strange though, for the orcs to attack like th- ARRGH!" The dark knight yelled, as a feathered shaft erupted out of his shoulder. "Damn! We're under attack again!" he exclaimed through clenched teeth. He fell to his knees, as more arrows rained down upon them. Cirdan moved to cover the other Elvaan, but before he could, a shadow crossed both of them.

"Whatever it is you two think you're doing, stop it and get out of the way." It was Tannim, covering them with his shield. More arrows fell, and Tokaki struggled to get back to his feet.

"Gee. Thanks." He responded dryly, staggering up the hill with Cirdan assisting. Russibynebyne winced when she saw the arrow, but immediately raised her hands, chanting the words of a cure spell that forced the shaft of the arrow from Tokaki's body and healed the wound.

Just at that moment, more orcs emerged from the woods, and the weary defenders charged as one down the hill. The battle this time seemed to last for far longer. The orcs seemed more numerous, more powerful than before. The weapons and armor that the defenders wielded seemed more of a curse than anything else, their weight dragging them down. But still they fought on, still they repelled the orcs courageously, fighting back with skill and speed. More wounds were taken this time, and the white mages struggled to keep up, their spells draining them greatly. Wherever possible they drank potions to restore their magical energy, but the pace of the battle taxed them all.

Orc after orc fell to the combined might of the Shirt Ninjas and the patrician defenders, but first one Patrician fell, slain by a particularly tough orc chausser. Another fell, burning to death from a fire spell cast by a cursemaker. Rathanel ducked down into his spot in the tower, critically wounded by a lucky arrow. Tokaki fell back, bleeding heavily out of a gash in his side. He could no longer cast any life saving spells, as his magic abilities had been exhausted in the last rush of orcs.

It seemed desperate everywhere they looked. Too many orcs, and the defenders were too tired, too exhausted, too few to stem the tide. Everywhere, the defenders of the outpost were being pushed back by the sheer numbers of the orcs. Tokaki looked down at his scythe for a moment, then up at the orcs. He gripped his scythe tightly, so tightly the knuckles of his hands turned white, and he growled. "I will not allow us to lose this fight. We will win the day. FOR SAN D'ORIA!" he cried, charging forward again, swinging his weapon in wide arcs. Orcs fell out of his way, trying to avoid the sharp blade, but ended up falling onto the spears and swords of the rest of the defenders.

It wasn't enough to turn the tide of battle, but still the Shirt Ninja fought on, despite their exhaustion, their pain. The clang of weapons rang through the air, mixed with the sounds of pain and triumph. A scream rent the air, and Tokaki looked quickly to see that Ainyan had fallen, an orc serjeant above her about to end her life with the cruel spear held in her massive hands. Tokaki pulled his crossbow from his side, leaned his scythe against his shoulder, raised, aimed, and then fired in a motion somehow fluid and swift for one so tired. It struck the orc in the head, killing it instantly, and the spear fell from nerveless fingers as the beastman fell to the ground. Ainyan got to her feet, but Tokaki could spare her no more thought as he immediately had to fend off the magical attacks of a cursemaker. He wasn't worried, as his powers as a dark knight gave him certain resistance to the spells a cursemaker could throw at him, but it still required concentration. He charged forward then, his scythe flashing up in as ripping motion, cutting the cursemaker between thigh and shoulder.

As Tokaki prepared another swing, the cursemaker's chest erupted in blood, and a sharp metal shaft appeared in in the center of it. Tokaki looked up to find Devinoch on the other side of the cursemaker, still gripping his spear, a determined look on his face. Tokaki nodded his thanks and turned back to the battle. Ainyan and Kaeli were standing side-by-side, their weapons the only things protecting a pair of badly wounded patricians from certain death. Uruki had climbed up into the tower and pushed the ladder back down after her, so she could tend to Rathanel's injuries, and stay out of the way of the warriors. The white mages had formed a knot of robes behind the noble wall that was Chrystopher, Sagus, and Tannim. Koriandr and Ishianti were fighting valiantly, somehow both of them still able to direct healing spells around the battlefield while still doing their level best to kill as many orcs as they could. Cirdan and Hien...were Cirdan and Hien, standing near Jezebel, all using their unique talents to fend off the orcish invaders, as was Calaeriel, directing her mighty avatars around the battle. Some orcs fled in terror just from the sight of the shimmering creatures.

Somehow, impossibly, or so it seemed to the Shirt Ninja, the sounds of fighting began to taper off. First one, then another, and still another of the Shirt Ninja could no longer find an opponent to fight. The number of orcs steadily decreased, and soon the sounds of battle had died completely away, leaving only the moan of the wounded. The Shirt Ninja paused and looked around, taking a moment to take stock of their injuries. The last battle had not gone well. Two patricians had been lost, two more were wounded to the point where they needed more attention than the white mages present could give, and at least two of the Shirt Ninja would probably not be able to stand another fight. Sadly, however, they knew deep in their hearts that the day was not over yet.

"Take them inside the outpost," Doladpaition commanded, pointing to the bodies and to the seriously wounded. The remaining patricians carried their fallen inside, and placed the dead on one side, the living on the other. Rath was carried down from the tower, and Ainyan was helped inside as well. None needed to be told what would happen if the Shirt Ninja could not stop the final battle. It was apparent to all there that if the orcs took the outpost, they probably wouldn't even bother coming inside. They'd just put the entire building to the torch.

As he helped her to the floor, Ainyan sunk her claws into Tokaki's arms, refusing for a moment to let him go. But he shook his head without a word, and she relaxed her fingers. He gave her a gentle smile, then turned and stepped out into the dying light of day. He paused to wipe the sweat from his brow, and look around. "Alright." He said wearily. "We've killed a lot of orcs this day." He pointed to his armor, covered in as much their blood as his, and grinned. "But we still have more work to do. You patricians are being given one hell of a trial by fire, but you've come through it admirably. We've taken some losses, but we should not allow that to deter us from our work, our duty. We can survive this day, and we can give the orcs a beating they'll never forget!" His voice was tired, but his words were full of the pride that Elvaan are so well known for.

Jezebel tensed suddenly, her ears perking up. "They come!" She grinned ferally, then began casting her ninjitsu, and where before one Mithran stood, three now grinned into the darkening wood, as the other Shirt Ninja prepared for the coming orcs. Juice was drank, enervating the mages, mithkabobs were consumed, providing new energy to the warriors. Weapons were drawn and checked, and the Shirt Ninja moved down the hill, closer to the road way. If they got pushed back by the orcs, the orcs would have to fight and uphill battle for every inch they gained.

The first orcs emerged from the woods as the last of the preparations died away. They charged right up to the Shirt Ninja, but this time, the group of adventurers were ready. They'd had time to rest, and catch their breath. The mages had their magical abilities restored, as did the other casters of the group. The first orcs out of the woods were met with a hail of arrows and crossbow bolts, and two or three fell before they even made it to the road, with more arrows and bolts on their way.

The rush was so great, however, that even if they had 20 archers, there was no way they could've stopped the tide completely, and the first orcs crashed into the line of Shirt Ninja waiting to receive them. The defenders fell back a few steps from the sheer momentum of the orc rush. The sounds of war rose quickly in the evening air as the battle was joined. This one was going to be the worst yet.

The Shirt Ninja and the unit of patricians had gotten some rest, but hadn't had nearly what they needed. Now though, they were getting their second wind and fought valiantly against the tidal wave of orcs. Bright flashes of power could be seen around the battle field as they began to use some of their special skills to win the day. A void of purple and black enveloped Tokaki for a brief instant, the sickly white shapes of skulls drifting through it as he began to use some of the more feared dark skills he possessed. Cirdan and Devinoch leapt high into the air, bringing down spears to impale orcs in gruesome manner. The warriors began to use their powers of berserker rage, hands glowing with shafts of red light before they set into their enemy, without care to possible injury or death. Battlecries and taunts rang out across the field. White mages used their holy powers to increase the strength of their healing as they shot them across the battlefield. The orcish tide was met and repelled by the ferocity of the defenders.

Little could be said about this battle, as from the moment after the orcs hit their lines, the Shirt Ninja pushed them back, no longer tired or worn, instead determined and willing to go the distance. From first blood on, it was a battle that heavily favored the heroes of San d'Oria, despite the fact that this was the most powerful orc rush. But then things began to go very wrong, for the leader of the orcs appeared.

Several of the patricians got to him first, and were immediately knocked aside, unconscious, by his massive fists. He stood taller and wider than the orcs that he lead, and he charged up the hill easily. Tokaki looked up when he felt a shadow cross his path. When he continued looking up before he saw the face of the monstrosity in front of him, he knew he was in trouble. "A fighterchief?" He exclaimed, falling back, for there was little he could do to the chief before he got himself killed. The fighterchief roared in amusement, and came charging after him.

It was then that Sagus stepped into the path. "Your fight is with me, orc!" he cried, turning the orc's attention from Tokaki to himself. Then he lowered his sword for a moment, and closed his eyes. "Altana, I pray you, use your powers to grant me the ability to withstand any blow. Grant me invincibility." A swirl of power enveloped Sagus for a moment, and when he opened his eyes again, they glowed. The orc used this moment while Sagus' guard was down to step in and punch the Shirt Ninja leader in the head. But when the blow struck, it inflicted no damage upon the paladin. Indeed, it did not inflict damage, nor did it push Sagus back from sheer inertia.

"Alright!" Tokaki exclaimed, running forward, swinging his scythe in a wide arc, cutting deeply into the orc fighterchief while he was busy trying to destroy Sagus. So enraged was he that his blows were doing nothing, he completely ignored the dark knight. It would have meant his death, if a cursemaker hadn't shown up at the last moment to assist his leader, casting a poison spell upon Tokaki, and distracting him from the fighterchief. Instead he focused upon the cursemaker, his scythe digging deep into the beastman's shoulder as they fought.

Around him, the other Shirt Ninja were well at work preventing the orcs from taking the outpost with this, their last rush. Uruki was running around underfoot, singing her tiny heart out while stabbing at the legs and shins of the orcs, many losing their balance, and, because of this, their lives. Calaeriel had summoned Ifrit, and the massive flaming monstrosity was in the process of tearing an orcish fighter apart. Russibynebyne, Kitsu, and Vynnagon had setup something like a mobile healing post, moving from point to point on the battle field together, trying to cover as much of it as possible with their life-saving abilities. The two dragoons, Devinoch and Cirdan, were side-by-side, their spear thrusts knocking orcs over as they came up the hill. Amefuri, Jezebel, and Kaeli were moving through orcs on the left flank like a whirlwind of steel and claw, the inborne Mithran grace of the samurai and ninja entwining smoothly with the stealthy tactics and delicate timing of Amefuri's thieving tactics. Chrystopher, Tannim, Ishianti, and Koriandr had control of the right flank, keeping the orcs at bay with a combination of magic and steel.

Tokaki turned from the corpse of the cursemaker, wincing with pain as the poison coursed through his veins for a moment. But then he ignored it, and raised his weapon once more to assist Sagus with the fighterchief. But such assistance was not necessary, for before Tokaki could raise his weapon for the first blow, Sagus stepped inside the orc's guard and drove his sword up to the hilt into the massive chest of the monster. The orc uttered one great cry of pain and anger as he spent his last breath. He fell dead to the earth and the other orcs, their leader gone, began to lose the will to fight. They did not remain long in this world as the Shirt Ninja and remaining patricians made quick work of them. One or two even took flight for the woods, turning and running full out down the hill, only to be brought low by the arrows and bolts of the Shirt Ninja.

When the last orc died, a change seemed to come over the hill. At first, all was as silent as the grave, the valiant defenders of the tiny outpost not moving or speaking in those first, quiet moments once the battle had ended. But then, in the woods, a bird began to sing. And then, as if that were the solo that started a choral performance, the crickets and other insects began their songs as well, and the woods came back to life.

Except on that bloody hill where eighteen adventurers and an equal number of newly recruited Royal Knights of San d'Oria made a desperate stand against the forces of the Shadowlord. Amongst the corpses of the orcs there seemed to be a hush, as though the life that thrived elsewhere did not belong here, in this time and place. The weary defenders could do naught but stare at each other, and wonder what dire events this unprecedented attack foretold.


End file.
